Car-fender.



'W. H. MARTIN.

GAR FENDER.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 5,1910;

993,609. Patented May 30, 1911.

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-W. H. MARTIN.

OAR FENDER. APPLIQATION FILED OUT. 5,1910.

993,609. .Patented May 30, 1911.

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William .71. Moe/152170 BY ML WL GUM/1144548 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

WILLIAM H. MARTIN, OF GEYSEfiVILLE, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-FIFTHSTO' JAS. B. NELSON, OF GEYSERVILLE, CALIFORNIA.

CAR-FENDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 30, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM H. MARTIN, residing at Geyserville, in thecounty of Sonoma and State of California, have invented a new andImproved Oar-Fender, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to car fenders and more particularly to that typeof fenders that are manually set or folded up during running and which,under contact with an object in advance of the car, automatically assumea safety or object-catching position.

The primary object of my invention is to provide an effective ear fenderof the general type referred to, of an economical but stableconstruction, easily mountable on the car body, that can be quickly setor adjusted to the normal position by a motorman,

- which when set, requires no attention from the motorman or otheroperator in charge of the propulsion of the car, in which the actionthereof for life saving is entirely automatic and is such that danger ofinjury to the person being picked up is reduced to the minimum.

l/Vith other objects in view that will be hereinafter apparent, myinvention consists in the peculiar construction, the novel arrangementand the combination of parts all of which will be hereinafter fullyexplained specifically pointed out in the appended claims andillustrated in the drawings, in which Figure 1, is a perspective view ofthe front end of a street car with my fender applied, the same beingshown as set to its normal position. Fig. 2, is a similar view, thefender being shown to its operative or life saving position. Fig. 3, isa front elevation of the fender as on the end of a car, the partsbeing-in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 4. Fig. 4, is a sideelevation of the end of the car and the fender mechanism, the latterbeing shown in full lines to the normal or set position and in dottedlines, to its tripped or forward position. Fig. 5, is a 'lan view of theshooting or projectable fen er member. Fig. 6, is a detail view of thespring connection on one end of the rock shaft, hereinafter referred to.

In the drawings I have shown a practical and preferred arrangement ofparts that discloses my invention, but I desire it understood thedetailed way of securing or mounting the said parts on the car body anddash and the exact means for joining the several coiiperating parts maybe readily modified or varied without departing from my invention or thescope of the appended claims.

My improved construction of car fender, essentially comprises aprojectable fender or catcher frame, manually operated means for pullingthe said frame back and holding it normally under the front end of acar, a spring controlled means for shooting or projecting the said frameforwardly when released, a buffer frame that strikes the person as thecar moves upon him, and connections that join the buffer frame and thedetent devices that hold the spring actuated devices, for releasing thesaid detents as the body engages the buffer frame to permit the springactuated devices shooting the life saving fender member under the personstruck.

Referring now to the details of construction, 2 designates a rock shaftthat is transversely mounted on the front of the car dash, it beingjournaled in the apertured lugs 11 secured upon the opposlte ends of thedash. Normally the said shaft is rocked in the direction indicated bythe ar row 00 on Fig. 6, by the coiled springs 3 fastened at one end tothe shaft and at the other to the dash board A, and held within thespring barrels or casings, as shown in Figs. 3 and (S. A pair of curvedarms 5 are fixedly mounted on the shaft 2 to move therewith, their loweror front ends 50 being curved downwardly and backwardly so as to swingclose to the ground when at thereleased or downward position, shown indotted lines, in Fig. 4.

6 designates a cross bar that connects the lower ends of the throw orshoving arms 5 and to this rod is connected one end of a canvas apron15, the other or upper end of which is connected to and winds about aWindlass shaft 13, the journals of which are hung in U-shaped brackets12 secured to the V edges of the car bottom. Midway of its length theshaft 13 carries a ratchet 14 with which coacts a detent or looking rod16 presently again referred to. 39 designates the crank for winding theWindlass shaft 13.

So far as described, it is obvious that by winding up the Windlass shaftthe arms 5 will be swung backwardly and upwardly and held under tensionby the springs 3.

36 designates the saving section or mem-, ber of the fender and it, inthe construction shown, is a rectangular frame that includes side bars 7that are pivotally oined with the cross bar 6, the said bars beingjoined by the cross front bars 8 to which, to the side bars 7 and to thecross bar 6, is attached the edges of the screen body that forms thelife saving fender section proper. On the front cross bar 8 is mounted apair of rollers 9 for engaging and riding the fender frame 36 over theground as it drops and shoots forward and in the front end of the sidebars 7 of the said frame 36 is mounted a yieldable friction roller 10 ofless diameter than the rollers 9, so as not to touch the ground, saidroller 10 forming a yielding impacting end so as to not bruise orotherwise injure the limbs or body of the person being caught.

It will be noticed the frame 36 is pivotally hung at its inner end onlyand for holding the front end up from the ground when the fender frame36 is back, the said fender frame 36 has a pair of side rods 25 pivotedto their arms 7 as at 27 and having eyes 26 for extending-into theforked and apertured ends 37 of pendent brackets 37.

29 designates pins fixedly secured to the arms 5 that pass through theforked ends 37 of the hangers 37 and through the eyes 26- of the hangers25 when the arms 5 are swung back as shown in full lines in Fig. 4, forholding up the member 36 of the fender.

20 designates the bufier which consist-s of a rectangular framing formedof the side arms 20?, the bottom cross bar 20 and a top cross bar 20,the said frame beingpreferably open. The buffer frame 20 also includes across or pivot rod 19 fixedly secured to the outer ends ofstout bowedspring metal hangers 18. secured to the car dash at a point abovetherock shaft 2.

23 designates a counter-weighthungon a cord or cable 21 thatv takes overa guide pulley 22 centrally mounted on the car dash and is secured tothe upper cross rod of the buffer frame. The weight 23 has a pendentheel portion 24: that slides through a guide 4:3 on the front end of thecar bottom and,-

when down, projects over the front end of the detent or looking rod 16and holds the same from sliding forward to release the ratchet 14.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the drawings, the completeconstruction and the advantages of my invention will be readilyapparent.

By reason of the peculiar arrangement of the parts shown and described,it is apparent that by winding up the Windlass shaft the canvas apron 15winds thereon and pulls the fender section 36 back under the car to thefull line position in Fig. 4c, in

. which position it is held by the hangers 25 being locked in the endsof the pendent members 37 by the pins 29 on the arms 5,

, the Windlass shaft 13 being held locked by shoving the rod 16 toengage the ratchet 14,

. see Fig. 4:, so as to hold the fender member 36 to its automaticallyset position.

The manner in which the parts shown and ;described operate is bestexplained as follows: Assuming the parts to be in their nor- ;malposition, see Figs. 1 and 6, should an object, a person, for example,then be struck by the car, the buffer frame 20 will be swung so as tocause the upper end to move outvwardly and thereby pull on the cable 21'which then lifts the weighted keeper 23 away from the rod 16, and thelatter being now free to move forwardly, the ratchet 14 is therebyreleased and frees the arms- 5 so that the springs 3 will rock the shaft2 to swing the said arms outwardly to the posif tion shown in dottedlines in Fig. 6, and full lines in Fig. 2, the canvas apron 15 at thesame time being drawn from the Windlass shaft 13. The hanger rods 25,which have a limited swing relatively to the frame 36,

are now released, as the pins 29 are pulled out from the hangers 37 asthe arms 5are swung forwardly under spring action, and since the frame36 is released when the said pins are pulled out, itdrops and is movedforwardly and downwardly under the object that was struck by the bufferframe, and further, since the said frame 36 moves directly over theground level it will positively slide, under the standing or fallingbody that was hit by the car- Having thus described my invention, what Iclaim is:

1. In a car fender of the character described, the combination with thecar body and the dash, a rock shaft'mounted on the dash front and springrocked in one direction, side arms pendent from the shaft to movetherewith, a catcher fender member hung at the rear end between the saidside arms and having a roller bearing on the front end, a Windlassincluding a ratchet journaled 0n the car platform, a winding memberthereon connected with the lower ends of the side arms, and a lockingrod slidable on the car platform for engaging the ratchet of theWindlass; of a buffer frame pivotally hung near its upper end on thedash front, a counter-weight having a portion for sliding down in frontof the locking rod to hold it in engagement with the Windlass ratchet, aguide on the dash and a flexible connection that passes over the guide,and joins with the upper end of the buffer frame and with thecounter-weight.

2. In a car fender of the character stated, a horizontally movablecatcher frame, manually operated means for pulling the said frame back,a rock shaft on the front of the car, spring-rocked in one direction,arms on which the rear end of the catcher frame is hung, a lock deviceon the arms, a means held by the said lock device for supporting thefront end of the catcher frame, and a buffer mechanism cooperating withthe manually operated means that pulls the catcher frame and springrocked shaft back, whereby to release the said means when struck by anobject.

3. In a car fender of the character described, the combination With, thecar platform and dash, of a rock shaft transversely mounted on the frontof the dash, and spring rocked to its outer or thrust movement, armspendent from said shaft to rock therewith, a catcher fender section hungat its rear end on the said arms and having a roller bearin at the frontor drop end, manually operated means for pulling the arms back underspring tension, other means for holding up the drop or front end of thecatcher section and a buffer mechanism on the car front cooperating withthe means for holding the arms back and the catcher section elevated andarranged, when struck, to release the said arms and the catcher section.

4. In a car fender of the character described, the combination with thecar platform and dash, of a rock shaft transversely mounted on the frontof the dash, and spring rocked to its outer or thrust movement, armspendent from said shaft to rock therewith, a catcher fender section hungat its rear end on the said arms and having a roller bearing at thefront or drop end, manually operated means for pulling the arms backunder spring tension, other means for holding up the drop or front endof the catcher section, and a buffer mechanism on the car frontcooperating with the means for holding the arms back and the catchersection elevated, and arranged, when struck, to release the said armsand the catcher section, and automatic means for locking the said armsand the catcher section in their forwardly thrust position.

5. A street car fender of the character described, comprising thefollowing elements in combination with a car body, a rock shaft mountedon the front end of the car and spring-turned in one direction,depending arms fixedly held on the said shaft, a Windlass connected tothe arms for swinging them upwardly against the spring tension of therock shaft, and a catcher frame held in the lower end of the arms toproject forwardly therefrom, a detent for holding the Windlass in itswound-up position, and a buffer frame mounted on the front dashconnected to the detent to move the said detent to release the Windlassas the buffer frame strikes an object.

6. The combination with a car platform and dash; of a rock shaft mountedon the front of the dash, springs for rocking the shaft in onedirection, and rearwardly curved arms fixedly mounted on and pendentfrom the rock shaft and a catcher frame hingedly mounted at the rear endbetween the lower ends of the endent arms, a manually actuated means orswinging the arms under the car platform and holdin them locked in suchposition, other means or sustainin the front end of the catcher framefrom tlie carbody, a tiltable buffer frame on the car dash, and devicesactuated by the tilting of the buffer frame for releasing the rock shaftand its arms and the catcher frame.

WILLIAM H. MARTIN. Witnesses E. D. VILLIAMS, PETER TORAL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe "Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G.

